GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0190ii.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 145
ii.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) Controls (If
Equipped). See Driver
Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0122
iior Driver
Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0125
ii.
3. Instrument Cluster (Base
Level) 0106
iior Instrument
Cluster (Uplevel) 0108ii.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer
0102
ii.
5. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0144
ii.
Vehicle Alarm System Indicator
(If Equipped). See Vehicle
Alarm System 034
ii.
6. Infotainment 0149
ii.
7. Climate Control Systems 0186
ii(If Equipped).
Automatic Climate Control
System 0188
ii(If Equipped). 8.
Heated Front Seats 047
ii(If
Equipped).
9. Power Outlets 0104
ii(If
Equipped).
10. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0219
iior Manual
Transmission 0224ii.
11. Auxiliary Jack 0163
ii.
USB Port 0160
ii.
12. Hazard Warning Flashers
0145
ii.
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0231
ii.
Cargo Lamp 0146
ii.
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) 0240
ii(If Equipped).
Hill Descent Control (HDC)
0 233
ii(If Equipped).
Tow/Haul Selector Button (If
Equipped). See Tow/Haul
Mode 0223
ii.
13. Steering Wheel Controls 0102
ii(If Equipped). Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) Controls (If
Equipped). See
Driver
Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0122
iior Driver
Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0125
ii.
14. Horn 0102
ii.
15. Steering Wheel Adjustment
0101
ii(Out of View).
16. Cruise Control 0234
ii.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0238
ii(If Equipped).
17. Transfer Case Knob (If Equipped). See Four-Wheel
Drive 0225
ii.
18. Hood Release. See Hood
0 258
ii.
19. Parking Brake 0230
ii.
20. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0114
ii.
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
116 Instruments and Controls
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation SeeAdd-On
Electrical Equipment 0254
ii. See
your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
. The light is on when the engine
is running.
. The light does not come on
when the ignition is in ON/RUN
while the engine is off.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced. See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is
a problem. When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, it means the vehicle has a
brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal can go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle
0326
ii.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Instruments and Controls 129
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on in the
instrument cluster. SeeCharging
System Light 0114
ii. Driving with
this problem could drain the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary
accessories. Have the electrical
system checked as soon as
possible. See your dealer.
TRANSPORT MODE ON
This message is displayed when the
vehicle is in transport mode. Some
features can be disabled while in
this mode, including Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE), remote start,
and the vehicle alarm system. Take
the vehicle to your dealer for service
to turn transport mode off.
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message is displayed when the
brake fluid level is low; see Brake
Fluid 0275
ii.
HILL START ASSIST ACTIVE
This message is displayed when the
vehicle is stopped on a grade
sufficient to activate HSA. HSA
holds the braking pressure for a
maximum of two seconds to ensure
that there is no rolling, which will
assist the driver to transition
between releasing the brake pedal
and accelerating to drive off while
on the grade. The brakes will
automatically release when the
accelerator pedal is applied within
the two-second window. See Hill
Start Assist (HSA) 0231
ii.
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed as a
reminder that the parking brake is
on. Release it before you attempt to
drive.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message may be displayed
when there is a problem with the
brake boost assist system. When
this message is displayed, the brake
boost assist motor may be heard
operating and you might notice
pulsation in the brake pedal. This is
normal under these conditions. Take
the vehicle to your dealer for
service.
Compass Messages
Dashes may be displayed if the
vehicle temporarily loses
communication with the Global
Positioning System (GPS).
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
may sound if a door is not fully
closed. Stop and turn off the
vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
192 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 200
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 201
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 203
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 210
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 214
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 219
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 224
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 231
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 233
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 236
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 243
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 253
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
198 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
. Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in
N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{Warning
If the vehicle has the two-speed
automatic or electronic transfer
case, shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause your
vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in P (Park). This is
because the N (Neutral) position
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park). Shift the transfer case to
any position but N (Neutral).
. When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill: 1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) and then restart the engine.
.If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down.
. Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over.
. If you cannot make it up the
hill, back straight down
the hill.
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Driving and Operating 199
.Never back down a hill in
N (Neutral) using only the
brake. The vehicle can roll
backward quickly and you
could lose control.
. If driving downhill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to a
lower gear, release the
parking brake, and drive
straight down the hill.
3. If the vehicle cannot be restarted after stalling, set the
parking brake, shift into
P (Park), and turn the
vehicle off.
3.1. Leave the vehicle and seek help.
3.2. Stay clear of the path the vehicle would take if it
rolled downhill.
. Avoid turns that take the vehicle
across the incline of the hill.
A hill that can be driven straight
up or down might be too steep to
drive across. Driving across an
incline puts more weight on the downhill wheels, which could
cause a downhill slide or a
rollover.
. Surface conditions can be a
problem. Loose gravel, muddy
spots, or even wet grass can
cause the tires to slip sideways,
downhill. If the vehicle slips
sideways, it can hit something
that will trip it —a rock, a rut,
etc. —and roll over.
. Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline more
severe. If a rock is driven across
with the uphill wheels, or if the
downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, the vehicle can tilt
even more.
. If an incline must be driven
across, and the vehicle starts to
slide, turn downhill. This should
help straighten out the vehicle
and prevent the side slipping.{Warning
Getting out of the vehicle on the
downhill side when stopped
across an incline is dangerous.
If the vehicle rolls over, you could
be crushed or killed. Always get
out on the uphill side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the
rollover path.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow,
or Ice
Use a low gear when driving in
mud —the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear. Keep the vehicle
moving to avoid getting stuck.
Traction changes when driving on
sand. On loose sand, such as on
beaches or sand dunes, the tires
tend to sink into the sand. This
affects steering, accelerating, and
braking. Drive at a reduced speed
and avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Driving and Operating 211
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular brake
pedal must be applied.
0 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/LOCK/
OFF) :When the vehicle is stopped,
turn the ignition switch to LOCK/
OFF to turn the engine off. Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0213
ii. This position locks the ignition and
steering wheel. It also locks the
transmission on automatic
transmission vehicles. The key can
be removed in LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
does not work, then the vehicle
needs service.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), continue to firmly apply the brakes and
steer the vehicle to a safe
location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0230
ii.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
On vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever must be
in P (Park) to turn the ignition switch
to LOCK/OFF.
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Driving and Operating 213
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal down to the
floor and start the engine. The
vehicle will not start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off theaccelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let go of the
key. The idle speed will go
down as the engine gets warm.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently to allow the
oil to warm up and lubricate all
moving parts.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there
while holding the key in START
for up to 15 seconds. Wait at
least 15 seconds between each
try, to allow the cranking motor
to cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing. This clears the
extra gasoline from the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
The following vehicle accessories
can be used for up to 10 minutes
after the engine is turned off:
.
Audio System
. Power Windows
. OnStar System (if equipped)
These features work when the key
is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. Once the key is
turned from ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF,
the windows continue to work up to
10 minutes or until any door is
opened. The radio continues to
work for up to 10 minutes or until the
driver door is opened.
Accessory Power Outlets (APOs)
The vehicle may have APOs in
several locations. See Power
Outlets 0104
ii.